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"What makes you think that?" I inquired.
"No one ever does."
"How about Rapas?" I asked. "He comes and goes apparently as he wishes."
"Yes, Rapas comes and goes. He is Fal Sivas's assassin. He also aids in the
kidnaping of new victims. Under the circumstances he would have to be free to
leave the building. Then there are a few others, old and trusted retainers,
really partners in crime, whose lives Fal Sivas holds in the palm of his hand;
but you may rest assured that none of these know too much about his inventions.
The moment that one is taken into Fal Sivas's confidence, his days are numbered.
"The man seems to have a mania for talking about his inventions. He must
explain
them to someone. I think that is because of his great egotism. He loves to
boast. That is the reason he tells us who are doomed so much about his work. You
may rest assured that Rapas knows nothing of importance. In fact, I have heard
Fal Sivas say that one thing that endeared Rapas to him is the assassin's utter
stupidity. Fal Sivas says that if he explained every detail of an invention to
him, Rapas wouldn't have brains enough to understand it."
By this time the girl had regained control of herself; and as she ceased
speaking, she started toward the doorway. "Thank you so much," she said, "for
letting me come in here. I shall probably never see you again, but I should like
to know who it is who has befriended me."
"My name is Vandor," I replied, "but what makes you think you will never see me
again, and where are you going now?"
"I am going back to my quarters to wait for the next summons. It may come
tomorrow."
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"You are going to stay right here," I replied; "we may find a way of getting you
out of this, yet."
She looked at me in surprise and was about to reply when suddenly she cocked
her
head on one side and listened. "Someone is coming," she said; "they are
searching for me."
I took her by the hand and drew her toward the doorway to my sleeping
apartment.
"Come in here," I said. "Let's see if we can't hide you."
"No, no," she demurred; "they would kill us both then, if they found me. You
have been kind to me. I do not want them to kill you."
"Don't worry about me," I replied; "I can take care of myself. Do as I tell
you."
I took her into my room and made her lie down on the little platform that serves
in Barsoom. as a bed. Then I threw the sleeping silks and furs over her in a
jumbled heap. Only by close examination could anyone have discovered that her
little form lay hidden beneath them.
Stepping into the living room, I took a book at random from the shelf; and
seating myself in a chair, opened it. I had scarcely done so, when I heard a
scratching on the outside of the door leading to the corridor.
"Come in," I called.
The door opened, and Fal Sivas stepped into the room.
CHAPTER III
TRAPPED
LOWERING my book, I looked up as Fal Sivas entered. He glanced quickly and
suspiciously about the apartment. I had purposely left the door to my sleeping
room open, so as not to arouse suspicion should anyone come in to investigate.
The doors to the other sleeping room and bath were also open. Fal Sivas glanced
at the book in my hand. "Rather heavy reading for a panthan," he remarked.
I smiled. "I recently read his Theoretical Mechanics. This is an earlier work, I
believe, and not quite so authoritative. I was merely glancing through it."
Fal Sivas studied me intently for a moment. "Are you not a little too well
educated for your calling?" he asked.
"One may never know too much," I replied.
"One may know too much here," he said, and I recalled what the girl had told me.
His tone changed. "I stopped in to see if everything was all right with you, if
you were comfortable."
"Very," I replied.
"You have not been disturbed? No one has been here?"
"The house seems very quiet," I replied. "I heard someone laughing a short time
ago, but that was all. It did not disturb me."
"Has anyone come to your quarters?" he asked.
"Why, was someone supposed to come?"
"No one, of course," he said shortly, and then he commenced to question me in
an
evident effort to ascertain the extent of my mechanical and chemical knowledge.
"I really know little of either subject," I told him. "I am a fighting man by
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profession, not a scientist. Of course, familiarity with fliers connotes some
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